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Original poster

Working in an office environment

27 replies

Prawnvolauxvent · 22/03/2020 06:01

I work in an office of 30, not been asked to work from home yet. No one has. Are most people still going in as normal? I have the ability to work from home and am set up on all the correct systems and I just can’t believe we are expected in this week coming.

OP posts:
TwinMum89 · 22/03/2020 06:03

I work in an office but have been working from home since last Wednesday. Given the latest government advice, I think you are entitled to ask to work from home if you are able to do so.

Tulipstulips · 22/03/2020 06:04

Why haven’t you asked to wfh? I don’t know anyone you can wfh who isn’t doing. You need to insist, for your safety and for the safety of everyone around you. Your colleagues need to insist too.

custardbear · 22/03/2020 06:09

Wow - yes we're all working from home for definite - it's hardly social distancing if you're all going in to work! Is it a key area? Even so, if you can do it from home I'd be questioning why you need to come in

RoseTay · 22/03/2020 06:12

I never assumed my office job was a wfh job, but we’ve arranged it now so it can be! The office is empty! I think yours should be too!

KatherineJaneway · 22/03/2020 06:20

Don't wait to be told, ask.

Tempnamelady · 22/03/2020 06:24

My husband works in an office with highly classified information , don’t think wfh is an option. It’s a concern as many of the the staff are retired police officers as he is himself, so at the older end of the working age spectrum.

Themsmedaps · 22/03/2020 06:29

I work for the civil service in a non essential role. We are still having to go in the office as not enough laptops. It's a disgrace, the government aren't even flowing their own advice.

Hercwasonaroll · 22/03/2020 06:29

Ask, if you get a no, show them the latest government advice.

Snorkelface · 22/03/2020 06:37

We've got a combination of full time wfh staff and a few who are doing days in the office on a rota to allow distancing in the work place. I'm presuming they'll stop us from going in at all soon so will be making sure I've got everything I need to work from home from this week. Unfortunately our IT department haven't managed to tie up various systems to allow access to all information people need so the system isn't really working.

Original poster
Prawnvolauxvent · 22/03/2020 06:43

I did broach it with them as the schools shut last week and I have two primary aged children. I will speak to them tomorrow, it’s my own guilt as well, being the first to ask, no one else has.

OP posts:
Hercwasonaroll · 22/03/2020 06:46

Government advice is very clear

Working in an office environment
thatblackbag · 22/03/2020 06:50

My dd is still having to go into her office despite the job being easily done from home, I am furious about it. She won't ask to wfh because she's worried about job security! She's trying really hard to do social distancing as well so is just going to work then back to her empty house, and I'm worried about her mental health. Would much rather she was back here working from home.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 22/03/2020 06:50

I'm going in next week but it's not possible for me to work from home as we do a lot of printing and need to use the special printers that are only in the office.

There's talk of us being laid off soon and I'm tempted to just volunteer myself to my boss tomorrow. That way I can get 80% of my salary paid by government and I don't have to ask family/friends to look after DS while I work which I'm having to do at the moment.

Nicecupofcoco · 22/03/2020 06:59

My partner works in an office and I'm pregnant. His boss has said he cant work from home, even though he is set up to do so, he's said he wants everyone in the office, and says I'm not at risk because I'm pregant the government are just being cautious. Which I get that they may be, but my partner and I just want to follow the advice!
My partners boss says the only way he can stay home is use his annual leave or take leave without pay. I'm due in 8 weeks and can't afford that. My partner feels pressured into going and I think it's disgusting by his boss!

Oysterbabe · 22/03/2020 07:00

My job can easily be done from home but my company don't like it, they think we're children who need to be supervised. It's a big company and they are going to cause more people to die with this decision. They are cunt.
I have a vulnerable DD and kicked up an almighty fuss and am now one of the few WFH. I wouldn't be just accepting this lightly if I were you.

KatherineJaneway · 22/03/2020 07:00

We are still having to go in the office as not enough laptops

Laptops are becoming as scarce as toilet roll with so many millions working from home.

YouStupidBoy · 22/03/2020 07:06

My job could be done from home, but there are several reasons why most of us are currently unable to.

We also have lots of doors that need to be kept secure and with keypad entry so lots of touching the same surfaces as others multiple times per day and no alcohol hand gel available at all. I have tried for three weeks to buy myself hand gel and failed, but was sent a bottle in the post that arrived yesterday which I was over the moon with so need to make it last!!!

whatswithtodaytoday · 22/03/2020 07:12

Do you work near any other offices? Surely they're all empty? I don't know anyone still going into work who doesn't have to.

eurochick · 22/03/2020 07:15

Everyone I know that can work from home is and has been for around a week now. Your employer should be following government advice.

Nquartz · 22/03/2020 07:22

Most of my (2,000-3,000) office are working from home but doing 2 days in on a rota. This has been in place since last Monday.

Any parents can work from home, just need to flag if there'll be issues getting work/hours done & then they'll come up wit a plan (I've said I can do it so I don't know what plan is, possibly holiday/unpaid leave)

We've been self isolating for over a week so I haven't been in at all, as soon as the government asked people to WFH where possible DHs office shut overnight

Janeinthemiddle · 22/03/2020 07:25

I'm on the same boat. Company says business as usual as we're not forced to closed. I dislike this attitude.

I had a word with my manager yesterday and raised this as many of my coworkers live with family members who are high risk. He said he'll have a word with our MD today.

I definitely think you should raise this and ask to work from home. Don't wait.

motorcyclenumptiness · 22/03/2020 07:28

I work for the civil service in a non essential role. We are still having to go in the office as not enough laptops. It's a disgrace, the government aren't even flowing their own advice.
Same here - travelling by bus to spend 8 hours in an open-plan office with hundreds of other people sitting in front of a screen doing a job that could be done anywhere but for the fact that the infrastructure isn't in place to do so ... we're sitting ducks and we're putting at risk the people we live with and the key workers we share public transport with.

OmnibusOwl · 22/03/2020 07:35

Husband’s work is the same! Not a key worker, but he and his colleagues are still going in every day. And he’s got a stinking cold Angry Selfish and entitled.

NatashaAlianovaRomanova · 22/03/2020 07:44

My role is the only role in our company that can be done as WFH on a permanent basis without a drop in the level of work being done.

As of Monday everyone is WFH on reduced capacity while I'm in the office - I'll be expected to fulfil my role as normal but also pick up the slack due to the others WFH not being able to do aspects of their roles.

I think the reasoning behind this is that the company don't like WFH & they are worried that this situation may mean flexible working requests will be submitted but they can use the argument that we tried it for this & people couldn't work at full capacity so it doesn't meet business needs.

lljkk · 22/03/2020 07:45

I can give all my boring circumstances but short story is that everyone else has gone home & I will be only one in the office. This week, anyway.

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